Chapter 6
King Darius - whomever he really was, and if this was even the same one spoken of in chapter 5 - put 120 Satraps (I assume this is a Persian title) over various Babylonian provinces. Then he set three high officials, whom the Satraps would report to. Daniel was one of the three. So he made out alright after the conquest. Soon, Daniel distinguished himself as best of the three, and Darius determined to set him over the whole kingdom.
The other officials and the satraps team up to try and find fault with Daniel in the way he administers his responsibilities. They fail to uncover ANY wrong doing. So they decide the only way to get to Daniel is going to be a personal attack on his religious practices. Persia surely brought in their own gods to replace the Babylonian gods, and being pagans, they would have considered the Most High God as just another idol.
They get the King - Darius - to make a law that none can pray to any but Darius for a period of 30 days. Daniel prays three times a day toward Jerusalem despite this law, and the conspirators take note of it, and report it to Darius.
This upsets Darius greatly, and he "labors" to find a way to save Daniel from the lions den. He has apparently become very impressed with Daniel and does not want to lose him. But it was the law of the Medes and Persians that a law of the King could not be recalled. If Darius breaks this, he himself could be removed (especially if he is actually an appointee king of Cyrus!) So Darius calls for Daniel, and has him throw into the lion's den, and a stone placed over the entrance. Darius first wishes Daniel well, and hopes that Daniel's God will continually deliver him.
The King was up all night worrying about Daniel. At dawn, the King runs to the den, and in anguish calls and asks Daniel if his God, whom he continually serves, has saved him. Interesting phrases. The King wishes for God to continually save Daniel, because Daniel continually serves God. Is there a FB post here?
Daniel answers that God sent an angel to close the mouths of the lions because Daniel was blameless before God. He further says that he has done the king no wrong.
Darius then has all the conspirators who accused Daniel thrown into the lions den. They, their wives, and their children. Doesn't say in what order, but I cannot imagine the scene at the lions den as they are brought. The lions kill them all. Darius makes a proclamation that all are to tremble before the God of Daniel.
MSB note says Daniel here demonstrated the evangelical potency of a godly, uncompromising life.
2022 - So to this point, the first six chapters of Daniel have been a sort of selected history of Babylon. We had two visions from Neb, but only one went beyond his kingdom. The events and stories of the first six chapters are well known. Not eating the kings food, the fiery furnace, the tall statue, man turned to beast, and the lion's den. All those stories are in the first six chapters in addition to the two visions of Nebuchadnezzar that Daniel interpreted. This book is packed with lessons, perhaps because all these things took place at the seat of government of a very great nation, ruling over what was the known world at that time. In 7, though, we will move on to other matters.
In the outline of the book from MSB, item II continues through the end of chapter 7, and is labeled "The Prophetic Course of Gentile Dominion (2:1-7:28)". After 7, we get III "The Prophetic Course of Israel's Destiny (8:1-12:13). I had never noticed this division between the histories of the Gentiles and of Israel. That is the kind of thing that ought to bring a lot of perspective to the rest of this book.